Vacation at the Lake
by SVUfan18
Summary: Elliot and Olivia take the kids on the perfect little vacation. What could go wrong?  This is a continuation of "Gone" but you don't have to read it for this to make sense.
1. Chapter 1

**Vacation at the Lake**

_Author's Note: Hi Guys! This is a continuation of "Gone" but you don't have to read it for this to make sense. Brief summary to get you caught up: Olivia has Calvin; they are both living with Elliot and his children. _

_The kids: Eli will be in first grade [they're on summer break in this story], Calvin will be a sophomore, Lizzie and Dickie will be seniors, and Maureen and Kathleen are in college._

_That should be enough to make sense out of this story... if you want more details you'll just gave to read Gone ;-)_

_The vacation spot, though it is in a real town, is totally made up—just a random FYI. Thanks for reading!_

* * *

"How about Niagara Falls?" Olivia suggested.

"Nah," Elliot said. "Been there, done that. Maybe Philadelphia?"

"I want to get _away_ from the city," Olivia said. "Not go to another city."

Elliot had his laptop out and was searching for a place to take everybody on vacation. Olivia was sitting on the couch next to him looking through a stack of tour guides.

"What about this?" Elliot said excitedly. "White Mountain Lake Lodge in Bristol, Connecticut. It's a small private island in the middle of a huge lake. They have 12 rustic cabins that they rent out and tons of activities. There's a game room, baseball and soccer field, volleyball nets on the beach, free Jet Ski and boat rentals. There's a dock to go fishing, a swimming area, all kinds of stuff," Elliot said as he was scrolling down the page on the website.

"Wow!" Olivia said as she put her tour books aside. "What are the cabins like?"

"Umm, hang on," Elliot said as he clicked on one of the links on the page. "Authentic log cabins, electricity, plumbing, full kitchen, grilling area on the back patio, wood fireplace, 4 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, and a master suite with attached private bathroom."

"Sounds beautiful," Olivia said. "Can we afford it?" she asked hesitantly.

Elliot clicked on another link on the page and read through the prices. "I think so," he answered. "It's on the higher end of what we wanted to spend but we won't be spending money on museum admissions, or other activities and we can take food with us since there's no where to eat out on the island. It should all balance out."

"Well it sounds great and looks beautiful," Olivia said, leaning over Elliot's shoulder and looking at the pictures with him. "You should call and reserve a cabin for us before they're all booked!"

Elliot called and reserved a cabin for the following month for him, Olivia, Dickie, Lizzie, Calvin and Eli. The kids were getting out of school the following week and Elliot and Olivia had some vacation time to use so they decided to pack up the kids and get out of the city for a week. Maureen and Kathleen were taking summer classes and neither one of them wanted to take time off from their jobs.

* * *

Elliot and Olivia were having a difficult time getting the kids to go to bed. Dickie and Calvin were protesting going to bed at 10:00. Lizzie was still saying good bye to her friends on the computer and Eli was in his room but every time he was left alone he climbed out of bed to play.

"Ok Liv," Elliot said. "Do you want the older kids or junior?"

"I'll take Eli," Olivia said after thinking it over for a second.

Olivia opened the door to Eli's room and saw him hurry to his bed to try to avoid being caught. "Busted!" she teased him. She knew he was excited about their trip and that's why he was having a difficult time going to sleep, but she didn't want him to be cranky during the drive up. She tucked him into bed, picked out a book off of his bookshelf and sat down next to him to read.

/

"Ok, no more stalling. It's bedtime!" Elliot said. He grabbed the remote and turned the TV off and then walked over and turned the computer monitor off. "Come on, I want to get an early start tomorrow and I don't want any grumpy kids! And try to be quiet; Liv is trying to put Eli to sleep."

"Good night Daddy," Lizzie said.

Elliot reached out and hugged her as she walked past him. "Good night Sweetheart," he said before kissing the top of her head.

"Night Dad," Dickie said. He held his hand up to give his Dad a high-five as he walked by.

"Good night Calvin," Elliot said. Calvin was a little shy sometimes. Elliot reached out and gave him a hug. He knew Calvin liked the affection, and that he never got any growing up. Elliot and Olivia always made sure they hugged and kissed him whenever they got the chance; they always made sure he knew he was loved as much as the other children.

"How'd you do?" Elliot asked as he entered the bedroom.

"I rubbed his back while I read him two books and I think he's finally asleep!" Olivia answered. "You?"

"They're all in bed," Elliot said, relieved. He leaned over the bed and kissed Olivia before taking his shirt and pants off and slipping into bed next to her. "Do we have everything packed?"

Olivia laid her head on Elliot's chest. "I'm pretty sure we do. We just need to stop at the grocery store before we head out to the island. Did you make sure the boys got everything they needed?"

"Sure did," Elliot said. "Dickie forgot his swim suit and Calvin forgot his toothbrush but other than that they did pretty good. I think we're set to go."

"This is going to be great El. I love you."

"I love you too," Elliot said, smiling at Olivia.

* * *

Everybody was up by 7:00 the following morning except for Eli. Olivia made sure the kids got some breakfast while Elliot loaded their luggage in the van. She put on a pot of coffee for her and Elliot. She put some dry cereal in a container for Eli and grabbed a bottle of chocolate milk for him. After the van was packed Elliot woke Eli up and helped him pick out an outfit. Then they all piled in the van and headed for Connecticut.

"10:00, we made good time!" Elliot said.

"This place is great!" Lizzie said as they walked up the front path to their cabin. Dickie and Calvin were already inside scouting out the best bedroom.

"Eli, come inside with us please," Elliot called. Eli had spotted a couple of ducks and was wandering off towards them but turned and followed the rest of the family into the house when his father called.

Elliot and Olivia put the groceries away while the kids ran around and explored the cabin. After everything had a place in the kitchen and all of the luggage had made it to the appropriate rooms they all went out together to explore the island. They found the Jet Skies and boats, walked by some of the other cabins, saw the ball fields, the beach that was roped off for swimming, the docks for fishing and the game room. Dickie, Calvin and Lizzie went in to explore the game room while Elliot and Olivia took Eli back to their cabin.

"Let's take Eli to feed the ducks before we get lunch started," Elliot suggested.

"That sounds like fun!" Olivia said. "Do you want to feed the ducks?" she asked Eli.

Eli's eyes got really big as he danced around and sang a chorus of yeses.

"Well since you have so much energy why don't you go get the bread," Elliot said. "I put it on the counter."

Eli raced into the cabin and returned with the bread. Elliot lifted him onto his shoulders and carried him down to the lake. Elliot and Olivia sat on a bench and watched Eli feed the ducks and chase them around.

"How lucky are we?" Olivia asked Elliot as she watched Eli.

Elliot wrapped his arm around Olivia and pulled her close to him while he watched Eli play. "We're extremely blessed."

"Olivia! Dad!" Lizzie called. She ran down to the lake. "I made a friend in the game room! Is it ok if she has lunch with us?"

Olivia looked at Elliot, he raised his eyebrows and cocked his head to the side giving his ok. "Sure honey. That would be fine," Olivia told her.

"Thanks you guys!" Lizzie hugged her Dad and Olivia then ran off back towards her friend.

_Author's Note: I know it starts off kind of slow. This isn't going to be an action packed story but there will be some drama, I promise! Thanks for reading! _


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Lizzie! I got to feed the ducks!" Eli said as he ran over to his sister who was sitting on the couch. Lizzie and Eli were close. She had helped out a lot in caring for him when he was younger and they had really bonded.

"That sounds like fun!" Lizzie looked over Eli to make sure he wasn't too dirty and then put him on her lap to watch TV with her.

"Aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?" Elliot asked.

"Sorry Daddy," Lizzie said. "This is Madison, Maddy."

Elliot smiled at her. "Hi Maddy, I'm Elliot" he said. "What grade are you in?"

Maddy's face turned bright red when Elliot spoke to her. "9th" she said shyly.

"Hi Maddy, I'm Olivia." Olivia smiled at her. "Do you like chicken nuggets and tater tots?"

Maddy smiled and nodded her head at Olivia.

Dickie and Calvin walked in the door as Elliot and Olivia were putting lunch on the table. They all sat down and ate lunch together and planned what they were going to do that afternoon.

"I think I'll take the boys out on a boat, maybe do some fishing, try to catch dinner," Elliot said.

"Can Calvin and I have our own boat?" Dickie asked excitedly.

"What's the matter? Too cool to be seen with your old man?" Elliot teased.

"Maybe," Dickie said, smiling.

"As long as you stick close to me so I can keep an eye on you two," Elliot answered. "Maddy, we have plenty of food. Do you want some more to eat? You didn't have very much," he asked, concerned.

"No thank you," Maddy said quietly, her face turning a bright shade of red again.

"What would you girls like to do this afternoon?" Olivia asked. "Maddy, do you need to check in with your parents or anything?"

"I just have to be home by 5:00 for dinner," Maddy answered.

"Can we go down to the beach and lay out in the sun?" Lizzie asked Olivia.

"Sure Honey."

After they finished lunch and got the kitchen cleaned up Elliot took the boys fishing. He let Dickie and Calvin go out in a boat by themselves and he took Eli with him. Olivia took the girls down to the beach where they decided to build a sand castle.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Olivia asked Maddy.

"I have a baby brother," Maddy answered. "My parents spend a lot of time with him."

"Lizzie was about your age when Eli was born," Olivia told her. Maddy was painfully shy and Olivia was trying to help her feel more comfortable.

"Yah," Lizzie said. "It was kind of annoying sometimes but Eli's really cool."

"Did your parents pay more attention to him that they did to you?" Maddy asked.

"Sometimes," Lizzie answered.

Olivia was starting to get suspicious of what was going on in Maddy's family but dismissed it, thinking she was just being paranoid because of her job. Elliot brought Eli over to the beach when they got back from fishing. Eli was impressed with their sandcastle and decided to dig a moat around it.

Elliot knelt down and kissed Olivia. "I think we got enough trout for dinner," he said.

"I caught a fish!" Eli proudly informed Olivia.

"You did?" Olivia asked. She tickled his bare belly. "That's cool!" Eli laughed and turned his attention back to digging.

"Where are the boys?" Olivia asked.

"They spotted some kids on the soccer fields," Elliot told her. "Some girls," he added, laughing.

By the time early evening had rolled around Eli, Lizzie, and Maddy had built several more sandcastles. Maddy headed back to her cabin. Eli decided to destroy the sandcastles they had built before they left the beach. He alternated between stomping them and karate chopping them.

"He might need help washing all that sand out of his hair," Olivia said. There was sand flying everywhere but Elliot and Olivia let Eli have fun destroying his handiwork.

Elliot showed Calvin and Dickie how to clean their fish while Eli watched and got an anatomy lesson. He helped the older boys grill the fish while Olivia and Lizzie made some potato salad and corn on the cob. When Eli was done watching his father clean the fish he went inside and Lizzie baked cookies with him.

After dinner Dickie and Calvin decided to go back to the game room. Elliot put Eli in the bathtub so he could help him wash all the sand out of his hair. Lizzie disappeared to her room to read and Olivia cleaned up the kitchen. When the kitchen was clean and Eli was finished with his bath Elliot and Olivia persuaded Lizzie to watch Eli while they went out for a walk along the lake.

Elliot meshed his fingers with Olivia's as they walked along the beach.

"I'm so glad you found this place, El. It's so beautiful here, and so peaceful."

"It's nice to escape for a little while," Elliot said. "You don't see sunsets like that in the city." Elliot led Olivia over to a bench overlooking the lake and they sat down. He put his arm around her and held her close.

"I feel like I am living in a dream Elliot," Olivia confessed. "It wasn't very long ago that I was completely alone, now I have Calvin and you and your kids. I could have never imagined having all of this." She laid her head on Elliot's shoulder.

"I love you Liv." Elliot leaned down and kissed the top of Olivia's head.

The two sat quietly and watched the sunset.

"El," Olivia started. "What do you think of Maddy?"

Elliot thought for a moment. "She's really shy. Other than that I don't know. Why?"

"I don't know I just have a gut feeling. I think something is wrong there. She's so quiet, she didn't eat hardly anything, and she was telling Lizzie on the beach that ever since her brother was born her parents ignore her. I wonder if she is being neglected. Maybe I'm just being paranoid. It's probably nothing. She's probably just shy."

"I wouldn't dismiss a gut feeling Liv; you spent more time with her than I did. I'm sure we'll see more of her; we'll just keep an eye on her and see if we can pick up on anything. I don't want to freak her out."

"Ok," Olivia agreed. "We should get back and check on the kids."

Elliot and Olivia slowly made their way back to the cabin. When they opened the front door they saw Eli jumping on the couch. He quickly flopped down when he saw them come in. Lizzie complained that Eli hadn't been listening to her. Elliot put his son in time out while Olivia went to the game room to get Dickie and Calvin. They all decided to watch a movie together before bed.

/

Their second day at the lake was filled with fun and relaxation. Elliot and Olivia spent the morning at the beach with Eli. Dickie, Calvin, Lizzie, and Maddy, spent the morning wandering around the island. After lunch Dickie and Calvin decided to take Eli to the soccer field where they planned to meet the girls from the previous day. They were hoping their little brother would help them impress the girls. Elliot took Olivia, Lizzie, and Maddy out on the boat for a little while. When they got back Lizzie and Maddy disappeared to Lizzie's room. Elliot and Olivia got Eli from the soccer fields and took him swimming.

"Hi girls," Elliot said. Lizzie and Maddy had walked down to the beach.

"Do you two want to go swimming with us?" Olivia offered. Lizzie looked at Maddy who shook her head no. "Are you sure?" Olivia asked, looking at Maddy,

"I don't go swimming," she said quietly.

"Ok Honey," Olivia said.

"Can Maddy spend the night?" Lizzie asked.

"I think that would be ok, as long as it is ok with her parents," Elliot answered.

"They don't care," Maddy said.

"Did you ask them Honey?" Olivia asked. Maddy shrugged her shoulders. "How about I go with you and we'll ask them together. I'd like to meet them."

"Ok," Maddy said, trying to smile.

"I'll come too," Elliot added. He remembered Olivia's fears from the previous night and noticed Maddy had been acting weird. He didn't want Olivia to go alone, just in case anything was to happen. "We can drop Eli off at the soccer field with the boys and pick him up on the way back."

Elliot, Olivia, and Lizzie followed Maddy to the cabin she was staying in. Her parents seemed nice enough and their cabin had some nice things in it. On the surface nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Maddy's parents were kind and seemed down to earth. They agreed to let Maddy spend the night with Lizzie. Elliot and Olivia visited with them while Maddy and Lizzie packed an overnight bag.

_Author's Note: More drama coming in the next chapter. What will happen during Maddy's sleepover? What will happen with Dickie and Calvin and the girls they've been hanging out with? Thanks for reading! _


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Olivia stepped into the shower and let the hot water pour over her body. Elliot had just checked on Eli and was relieved to find him sleeping. He closed the door to their bedroom and left a trail of clothes on the floor as he headed to the shower to join Olivia. The four older kids were hanging out in the game room until their curfew. Elliot wasn't sure if he would get another opportunity to spend that kind of alone time with Olivia so he wanted to take advantage of the time they had.

At 1:00 in the morning Elliot woke to the sound of noises coming from the girl's room. He assumed they were still up talking. He rolled out of bed slowly, trying not to wake Olivia and pulled his shorts and a t-shirt on before heading to their bedroom to tell them to quiet down. Elliot saw that there were no lights on in Lizzie's room. He gently knocked on the door. He could hear Lizzie faintly calling his name. He pushed the door open and saw Lizzie sitting up on the top bunk of the bed.

"I don't know what's wrong with her Daddy," Lizzie whispered. Maddy was jerking around in her bed and mumbling.

"It's ok Sweetie," Elliot said. "She's probably dreaming."

"Maddy," Elliot said softly. He walked over to the bunk bed. "Maddy," he called again a little bit louder. Maddy's mumbling kept getting louder. Elliot put his hand on her shoulder to wake her and she quickly sat straight up in bed and started hitting Elliot. Elliot grabbed her arms to stop her from hitting him and sat down on the bed next to her.

"Maddy. Madison, wake up," Elliot called. "It's ok. You're safe."

As Maddy woke up she stopped trying to fight Elliot and started crying. She melted into Elliot's chest. Elliot wrapped his arms around her.

"Shh," he whispered, "it's ok."

"Lizzie, why don't you go get Olivia, Honey. You can lay down in our room for a little bit."

Lizzie hurried out of the room and a few seconds later Olivia came in. She sat down on the bed on the other side of Maddy and rubbed her back gently trying to calm her.

"What happened Maddy?" Elliot asked when her crying had eased.

"I, uh, I don't... nothing," she hesitated.

"Did you have a bad dream Honey?" Olivia asked.

"I don't know," she answered. Olivia decided to press her for information.

"Maddy, Elliot and I are detectives. We mainly work with kids. We _can_ help you if you want to talk to us." Olivia said. She could see Maddy was contemplating telling them something. She hoped the girl would open up to them.

"I... I just had a bad dream," Maddy finally whispered.

"Ok Honey," Olivia said.

"Think about it," Elliot added. "We're here to listen, if you decide you want to talk. Ok?"

Maddy nodded her head and layed back down in bed. Olivia tucked her in and Elliot patted her back.

/

Elliot rolled over and gently kissed Olivia's lips. She started to wake.

"What time is it?" she whispered.

"It's 5:00am," Elliot said, kissing her again. "I'm going to go for a run and then I was thinking we could make the kids a big breakfast."

Olivia stretched and took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I'll get up when you get back and help you cook," she told him. "I want to be here if any of the kids have any problems."

Elliot kissed Olivia before pulling on a pair of gym shorts and quietly heading out of the house. After he stretched he started toward the water in a slow jog. The air was cool against his bare chest. He picked up his pace and made good time running the perimeter of the island.

Elliot returned shortly before 6:00. He went back to his bedroom and threw on the t-shirt he had worn the day before. He leaned over the bed and kissed Olivia on the forehead. Olivia let out a low moan.

"I'm awake," she said weakly.

Elliot knew she had fallen back asleep while he was gone. "Take your time," he told her.

Elliot went out to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee before getting out everything he needed for breakfast. As he was lining things up on the counter her head a noise behind him. He turned to see Maddy pulling out a chair at the kitchen island.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully. "How'd you sleep?"

Maddy shrugged her shoulders and was quiet for a moment. "I don't really sleep at night," she confessed.

"No?" Elliot said. He moved the stuff to make pancakes over to the island so he could talk to Maddy. "When do you sleep?" he asked.

"I don't know. I guess I don't usually sleep," she said quietly, looking down at her hands in her lap.

"Kiddo, I gotta tell you, I think you have a secret and maybe it's time to tell somebody. Has somebody not been treating right?" Elliot asked her.

Maddy's face turned beet red at Elliot's suggestion. She started picking at her cuticles but didn't answer. Elliot studied her face for a moment. He could see how tense she was.

"Do you want to help me make the pancakes?" he asked. He saw her fingernails had been chewed all the way down and her cuticles were picked raw. He hoped to be able to calm her enough she could talk to him.

"I um... Nobody ever... I, I don't know how to cook," Maddy sighed.

"That's ok," Elliot said confidently. "I'll help you," he smiled at her.

"Good morning Maddy," Olivia said as she entered the kitchen. "What are you guys doing?"

"We're just making breakfast," Elliot said, "and talking."

"You're up awfully early Honey. Did you have trouble sleeping?"

"I don't sleep very much," Maddy told her.

"Daddy!" Eli yelled as he raced into the kitchen and jumped into Elliot to hug him. Elliot picked him up and kissed him good morning. "Can I make a pancake?" he asked.

"Maddy's going to make the pancakes, but will you help me make the eggs?" Elliot offered. Eli nodded his head yes and reached for the box of eggs.

It wasn't long before the rest of the children woke to the smells of breakfast coming from the kitchen. Elliot helped Eli scramble the eggs while Olivia helped Maddy make the pancakes and cook up some sausage and bacon.

"We're all going to go play some beach volleyball this morning," Elliot announced as they were finishing up breakfast. "So, I want you all to go put on your swimsuits, or whatever you choose to wear," he added, remembering Maddy wouldn't wear a swimsuit.

"I was so close Liv," Elliot said as he pulled on his swimsuit. "I thought Maddy was going to open up to us this morning and then Eli woke up."

"We just have to be patient El. I want to press her for the truth too but I don't want to scare her. Then she'll just close up and we'll never get anything out of her. Hopefully we'll get a chance to talk to her today."

Elliot stared at Olivia, studying her body and smiling.

"What?" she asked. She adjusted her swimsuit, starting to feel self conscious.

"I love you Liv," he said. He put his hands around her hips and pulled her body into his.

"I love you too," Olivia said. She ran her hands over his bare chest. "Did you forget we have a house full of children?"

Elliot groaned as he nuzzled and kissed Olivia's neck.

"Elliot," Olivia whispered a little more urgently. Elliot kissed her passionately on the lips.

"We'll have to send the kids away tonight and put Eli to bed early," Elliot told her. "I want you," he said seductively, his hot breath on her neck.

"Well," Olivia said, pausing to kiss him, "let's go wear him out so he'll sleep."

Elliot ran his hand across Olivia's bare stomach as she walked by him towards the door. She stopped at the door and blew him a kiss before she disappeared into the hall. Elliot made his way into the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face before joining his family.

When they got tired of playing volleyball, they walked the short distance to the beach and spent the rest of the morning swimming and building sand castles. After lunch Dickie and Calvin disappeared to find the girls they had met and Maddy went home to check in with her parents. Elliot planned a bonfire for that evening. Lizzie had invited Maddy and Dickie and Calvin invited the girls.

Elliot was relaxing in bed when he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," he called. He looked up and saw Calvin. He patted the bed next to him, motioning for Calvin to sit by him. Calvin ran and jumped over Elliot landing on the bed next to him. "What's up Buddy?" Elliot asked.

"Where's Olivia?" Calvin asked as he stretched himself out next to Elliot.

"In there," Elliot said pointing towards the bathroom. "She'll be out in a second."

Elliot put his arm around Calvin. "Are you having fun?"

"Yes! Tons!" Calvin said excitedly. "I never want to leave!"

Elliot laughed.

"Calvin!" Olivia said as she walked over to the bed and laid down next to him. "What's up dude?" She kissed the top of his head then ruffled his hair.

"I kind of have a date tonight," Calvin said. "But I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do."

"Ah, your first date," Olivia said. "What's her name?"

"Michaela, but everybody calls her Kayla. She's really pretty. She has red hair and brown eyes and she's kind of tall but shorter than me. And she is super nice and smart. She's in the 9th grade."

Olivia smiled as Calvin excitedly told them about his girlfriend. "Well Kiddo, you just be yourself. Don't try to be someone you're not and you'll be fine. Offer her a drink when she gets here, open doors for her; make sure she's taken care of. You'll know what to do and if you need help come find me or Elliot, ok?"

"I'm a little nervous," Calvin confessed.

"That's ok Bud, it's perfectly normal. Everybody is nervous on their first date. I betcha Kayla's nervous too," Elliot told him.

Calvin gave Olivia a hug before he got up and took off out their room.

"How great are our kids?" Elliot asked.

"Right now?" Olivia laughed, "Right now, they're perfect."

"Well," Elliot said, "I better get the bonfire ready!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The bonfire was going well. Elliot and Olivia met Calvin's girlfriend Kayla and Dickie's girlfriend Katie. Lizzie was hanging out with Maddy, who was quiet, as usual. Eli was running around entertaining everyone and Elliot and Olivia were enjoying watching the kids have fun.

Olivia had just finished helping Eli roast a hot dog and was putting it in a bun for him. Elliot was watching her with a smile on his face. He enjoyed seeing the mother in her. She was so good at it, the kids were so lucky to have her in their lives. He looked up to see Maddy standing in front of him.

"Hi Honey. Are you having a good time?" he asked her.

Maddy hesitated before speaking. "Will you adopt me?" she asked quickly. "I want to be part of your family."

Elliot smiled at Maddy. "Come with me Kiddo, let's talk." If Maddy was ready to talk he didn't want any more interruptions. He asked Lizzie to keep an eye on Eli and he grabbed Olivia's hand before leading Maddy into the house. Maddy sat on the couch between Elliot and Olivia.

"What's up Sweetheart? Why do you want to live with us?" Elliot asked once they had settled on the couch.

Maddy shrugged her shoulders and started chewing on her lower lip. Elliot sensed she was retreating back into her shell and he didn't want to lose the opportunity to talk to her.

"It's ok. Just talk to us," he prompted. "You can tell us anything."

"I just really like being with you guys. You always have a lot of fun and you do stuff together. You're like a real family," Maddy said. She was fidgeting with her fingers as she spoke.

"It's not like that at your house?" Olivia asked. "Your family doesn't do stuff together?"

"My parents do lots of things with my brother," Maddy said sadly. "I think they forgot about me," she added quietly.

"What makes you say that?" Elliot asked.

"They never have time for me anymore. They only pay attention to the baby. They don't even take me to my softball games anymore, my Dad's friend does. He stays and watches me too. He does stuff with me but he says... I mean, um..." Maddy got quiet and continued chewing on her lip and fidgeting.

Elliot and Olivia became even more suspicious. They had guessed she might be being neglected but now their suspicions had gone far beyond that.

"How old are you Maddy?" Elliot asked.

"I just turned 13," she answered proudly.

"What about Dad's friend?" Elliot asked. "How old is he?"

"I'm not really supposed to talk about him," Maddy answered quietly.

"Why not Honey?" Olivia asked. Maddy shrugged her shoulders and briefly made eye contact with Olivia. "Did he tell you not to say anything?" Olivia paused so Maddy could answer but she sat silently. "Maddy, did your Dad's friend do something to you that he shouldn't have?" Olivia put her hand on Maddy's shoulder causing her to jump.

"It's ok Maddy," Elliot said calmly. "You can talk to us."

"I don't really know if it was wrong," Maddy said quietly. "I mean, I told him it was ok."

"What was ok Maddy?" Elliot prodded.

Maddy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "He... he asked me if it was ok if he... you know, kissed me and touched me and stuff," she began talking slowly but quickly sped up. "He loves me. He promised he could make me feel good and he did. I'm pretty sure we're gonna get married."

Elliot and Olivia listened as Maddy recounted her relationship with her father's friend, talking about him as if she were madly in love with him.

"Sometimes we don't go to my softball games; he just takes me to his house and we make love," Maddy continued. "But you have to keep that a secret from my parents because Jeff says they wouldn't understand. He does lots of special things with me and he even buys me stuff sometimes. I really can't wait till we can get married."

Elliot looked over at Olivia and saw that her eyes were closed. He saw the pained expression on her face. He gently squeezed Maddy's shoulder.

"Maddy, Honey," Elliot hesitated, trying to think of the right words to say. "What Jeff did to you," he put his finger under her chin and guided her face towards him so he could look into her eyes. "What Jeff did to you wasn't love..."

"No! He really does love me!" Maddy insisted, interrupting Elliot.

"Honey," Olivia said, "Jeff tricked you. He told you he loved you so you would do something for him. If he _really_ loved you, he wouldn't have had sex with you. Adults aren't supposed to do that to kids, it's not ok."

"But, he said he loved me. He bought me stuff and he paid attention to me."

"Dad," Dickie called from the back door. Elliot looked over at him and raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, the fire is out, can I start it again?"

Elliot looked at his watch and saw it was getting late. He left Olivia and Maddy on the couch. He sent Dickie and Calvin to walk their friends back to their cabins. He chased Eli around, letting him win for a moment in an attempt to expel any energy the young child might have left before he grabbed him and threw him into the air.

"It's bed time Big Man," Elliot told him.

"Daddy," Lizzie said.

"What's up Babe?" Elliot asked.

"What's wrong with Maddy?"

Elliot put his arm around his daughter and gave her a tight hug. He kissed the top of her head. "She's just talking to Liv Honey," he answered. "She'll be into your room in a minute. She's spending the night again, right?" Lizzie nodded her head as studied her father's face. She was pretty sure he was hiding something, but she knew not to push it.

After Elliot got Eli to sleep he made his way to each of the children's rooms. He took his time as he stood and watched them sleep before he pulled their blankets around their shoulders and kissed their heads. He paused in the doorway to Calvin's room.

"Are you ok?" Olivia asked as she walked up behind Elliot and hugged him from behind. She rested her chin on his shoulder and looked into Calvin's room with him.

"Mhmm. Just thinking about Calvin, everything he's been through," Elliot sighed as he looked into the dark room, lit slightly by the moon beams coming through the window. "And I can't help but think about how lucky the rest of the kids are. They were never abused; nobody ever tried to mess with them. I mean, I would've killed the bastard, but the damage would have already been done. Ya know?"

"Elliot?" Calvin called. Elliot went over and sat next to Calvin on his bed leaving Olivia in the doorway. "Is everything ok?" Calvin asked, obviously worried.

Elliot brushed Calvin's bangs out of his face. "Yah Buddy," he said softly. "Everything's ok. I'm just thinking about how much I love you guys." Elliot sat looking into Calvin's eyes for a moment, overwhelmed with love. Whenever he came across children who had been victimized it always caused him to reflect on his own kids, and he considered Calvin his as much as his other children. Those were the days the kids got extra kisses, and tighter hugs, even if they thought he had gone crazy.

Elliot stood and smoothed out Calvin's blanket. "See you in the morning Buddy," he whispered as he leaned down to give him one more kiss.

_Author's Note: On to some drama with the boys in the next chapter. Thanks for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The following morning, after breakfast, Elliot and Olivia took Maddy back to her cabin and talked with her parents. Her parents were completely taken off guard and shocked at what Maddy told them. They decided to cut their vacation short so they could return home and take care of their daughter. Elliot and Olivia gave them some advice and gave them their business cards so they could keep in touch.

Elliot and Olivia decided to do a scavenger hunt with the kids. They paired Dickie with Eli and Calvin with Lizzie and sent them off with a list of things to find. After they ate lunch Dickie, Calvin and Lizzie headed to the soccer field and Elliot took Olivia and Eli out on the boat and let Eli fish. After dinner Dickie and Calvin decided to go to the game room while the rest of the family played board games and watched movies at the cabin. Eli fell asleep on Olivia's lap shortly after 9:00 while they were watching a movie. She tucked him into bed and rejoined Elliot and Lizzie in the living room. At 10:00 Dickie and Calvin returned home.

"Hi Guys," Dickie said. "We're kinda tired, so we're gonna go to bed," he said as he and Calvin hurried by towards their bedroom. The boys shared a room at home and decided to share a room in the cabin as well. Since Calvin had moved in, the two had become inseparable.

"What's wrong with this picture?" Elliot asked, looking over at Olivia.

"You mean the boys going to bed at 10:00?" Olivia said.

"Ow!" Calvin said, down the hall.

"We're ok!" Dickie yelled out to the living room. Elliot and Olivia could hear whispering but couldn't make out what the boys were saying. Elliot squinted at Olivia and furrowed his brow. They both got up and headed towards the boys room.

"Where's Calvin?" Elliot asked as they walked into the room.

"Bathroom," Dickie said, trying to sound innocent.

Elliot looked at him suspiciously. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean Dad?" Dickie asked.

Calvin walked into the room and froze when he saw Elliot and Olivia.

"What's going on Calvin?" Olivia asked him.

"Why are you so flushed?" Elliot asked as he put his hand on Calvin's forehead. "You're all sweaty, are you sick?" Calvin turned his head away from Elliot and took a step backwards making Elliot even more suspicious.

"Come here," Elliot said. He took Calvin's arm and held him so he couldn't back away.

"Dad, please, we're tired," Dickie cut in. Elliot turned and looked at him then turned his attention back to Calvin. Calvin's body was tense and he had a terrified look on his face. He was standing as far away as Elliot would let him, staring at him with big eyes.

"Calvin, Honey, tell us what's going on," Olivia said.

"You smell like... have you been drinking?" Elliot asked. Calvin started laughing at Elliot and Elliot could smell the alcohol on his breath. Elliot turned to Dickie and raised his eyebrows. "Have _you_ been drinking?"

"No Sir," Dickie answered quickly.

"Come here," he pulled Calvin over by Dickie. "Breathe on me," he ordered Dickie.

"Dad!" Dickie objected. Elliot smelled his breath and was satisfied he hadn't had anything to drink.

"What happened tonight?" Elliot looked at Calvin who was still laughing.

"Dad," Dickie said. "The the girls brought beer to the game room. Calvin must have had some," he said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Yah, I think he did," Elliot said motioning to Calvin who was laughing even harder. "Where were you?"

"Katie and I snuck into the other room. We were... we wanted some privacy." Elliot raised his eyebrows at Dickie. "Not that Dad! We were just making out! We didn't have sex."

"How much did you drink?" Elliot asked Calvin.

Calvin slowed his laughing down and shrugged his shoulders. Elliot looked over at Dickie.

"I don't know Dad. I'm sorry."

Elliot let out a deep sigh. "You two sit tight. Liv and I need to talk." Elliot let go of Calvin's arm and walked out of their room.

"What did the boys do?" Lizzie asked as Elliot and Olivia entered the living room. "Are they in trouble?"

"Lizzie, Honey, it's time for bed," Elliot said.

"I'm going over there!" Elliot said as soon as Lizzie left. "I'm going to go have a talk with their parents!"

"Elliot," Olivia said, "you don't even know which cabin they're staying in. Besides, I need you here."

Elliot paced around the living room.

"So, what do we do?" Olivia asked.

"I say he's grounded for sure. What else? I don't know yet," Elliot answered still pacing. "What do you think?"

"I don't know. I'm new at this, remember? I agree he's grounded but we have to make sure he understands why."

"Dad?" Dickie said, quietly, from the hall.

Olivia waited for Elliot to answer. When he didn't she called Dickie over. He made his way over to the couch and sat next to Olivia and watched his father pace.

"Dad, I'm really sorry. I really messed up tonight."

"Damn straight!" Elliot said.

"Elliot," Olivia said, trying to calm him. "What happened tonight Dickie?" she asked.

"I don't know. When we got to the game room the girls were already there. One of them had brought some beers. I just assumed Calvin wouldn't drink. Katie and I went into another room so we could have some privacy. When I came back out Cal had been drinking. I should have kept an eye on him. I'm sorry."

Elliot stopped pacing and sat on the couch next to Dickie. He took a deep breath and rubbed his face. "Dickie, it's not your fault Son. Calvin is responsible for his own actions; we don't expect you to watch him 24 hours a day. You've been good to him and we appreciate that." Elliot turned on the couch to face his son. "But you're not completely off the hook Pal. Noble as it was, you tried to cover for Calvin. You were dishonest and you're gonna have to pay the consequences for that. You're grounded, one week, when we get home no phone, no computer, no TV, no video games, you know the drill. And the rest of the time we're here you're either going to be in the cabin or hanging out with Olivia or me."

"Yes Sir," Dickie said. Elliot patted Dickie on the back.

Dickie stood to go back to his room. "I really am sorry."

"I know Son," Elliot half smiled at him. "Send Calvin out here please."

"You ready?" Elliot asked Olivia as they waited for Calvin.

"No," Olivia sighed. "This isn't exactly how I pictured our evening."

Elliot smiled at Olivia and reached over and squeezed her hand. Calvin came out and stood in front of the couch. He looked nervously at Elliot and then at Olivia.

"Sit down," Elliot instructed.

Calvin sat on the couch between them careful not to get too close to either one of them.

"What happened tonight Calvin?" Olivia asked.

"Um... Kayla brought some beer to the game room. She started drinking. She told me I should too. She made me do it."

"Calvin," Olivia said, her voice firm, "did you know what you were drinking?" Calvin nodded his head yes. "Did Kayla force you to drink with her?" Calvin thought for a moment then shook his head no. "Tell me again, what happened tonight?" Olivia's voice was gentle again.

"Kayla was drinking tonight and she told me how much fun it was," Calvin paused. "So I decided to drink too. I don't know why."

"That's better," Olivia said. "I expect the truth from you." Olivia put her arm around Calvin. "Do you know how dangerous drinking can be? You're nowhere near old enough. Do you know how much trouble you're in?" Olivia could feel Calvin's body tense up. "Calvin, you're in high school now. Your friends are going to try to pressure you into doing all kinds of things. Part of being mature and responsible is having the courage to say no when you know something is wrong. You have to stand up for what you know is right Honey. It's not always easy, but you have a family that loves you very much and we'll always be here for you." Olivia brushed Calvin's bangs out of his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Calvin whispered.

"I know you are Honey, but you're still in trouble. You're grounded for three weeks, no TV, computer, video games, mp3 player, nothing and the rest of the time we're here I want you either in the cabin, with me, or with Elliot. Got it?"

"Ok," Calvin said as he hung his shoulders. Olivia gave Calvin a kiss and sent him to bed.

"You said you didn't know what to do," Elliot teased Olivia. "I always knew you were a natural."

"I don't know El. I'm worried."

"That's normal," Elliot assured her. "You did fine."

"I'm exhausted, are you ready for bed?" Olivia asked.

"I think I'm going to watch TV for a little while. I need to relax before I try to sleep." Olivia kissed Elliot good night and disappeared into their bedroom.

/

Elliot woke up at 2:00am. He had fallen asleep on the couch and the TV was still on. Calvin was standing in front of him.

"Are you still angry?" Calvin whispered.

Elliot stretched and sat up on the couch. He reached over and turned the lamp on. "No Calvin. I uh, I'm a little worried about you Kiddo," Elliot told him, rubbing his eyes. "What's wrong? What are you doing up?"

Calvin sat down on the couch next to Elliot. "I don't feel good."

"Do you know why?" Elliot asked.

Calvin nodded his head. "Cuz I drank the beer."

"Mm-hmm," Elliot hummed. He went to the kitchen and got Calvin a glass of water. "Drink that, it might help a little."

Calvin shook his head no. "I've been puking all night. It'll just make me sick."

"Drink it slow. I don't want you to get dehydrated."

Calvin took a few small sips of his drink then cuddled up next to Elliot on the couch. "Calvin, you're freezing," Elliot said. Calvin nodded his head. Elliot went back to the boy's room and got the comforter off Calvin's bed. He sat down next to Calvin on the couch and covered him up with the blanket. Calvin laid his head on Elliot's chest and they watched TV together.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Olivia woke up shortly after 7:00 and realized Elliot hadn't been to bed that night. She made her way to the living room and found Elliot and Calvin curled up on the couch, sound asleep. She knew the rest of the kids would be awake soon so she decided to wake Elliot and send him to bed. She sat on the arm of the couch next to him and kissed him. Elliot let out a soft moan.

"El," she whispered softly. "It's after 7:00, the kids will be up soon. Why don't you go to bed so they don't bother you?"

Elliot yawned and looked down at Calvin sleeping on his chest. "I'm fine," Elliot said as he gently rubbed Calvin's back. "He was up sick all night. I think I'm gonna put him down in our room so Dickie doesn't disturb him when he gets up."

Elliot carried Calvin back and laid him down in their bed. He shut the door behind him and joined Olivia in the living room. He sat down on the couch and kissed her. She handed him a cup of coffee.

"Sorry I didn't come to bed last night. I must've fallen asleep on the couch," Elliot said.

"That's ok," Olivia said as she rubbed his neck.

"That feels really good Liv," Elliot said, letting out a moan of satisfaction. "Calvin woke me up around 2:00. He was sick most of the night, headache, throwing up, chills."

"You should've got me up El."

"We did ok," Elliot told her. "I didn't want to wake you."

"Do you think he learned his lesson?" Olivia asked.

"I hope so," Elliot said.

The kids got up one by one and joined Elliot and Olivia on the couch. Lizzie laid her head on Olivia's shoulder, Dickie sat by Elliot and Eli layed across Elliot's and Olivia's lap squirming around.

"What do you guys want to do today?" Elliot asked.

"Can we get off this island and go shopping?" Lizzie asked.

"Calvin's really sick Sweetie," Elliot said. "We need to stick around here, but we should be able to take our time getting home tomorrow. We can stop at a few places then."

"Can we go out on the Jet Skies Dad?" Dickie asked.

Elliot looked at Olivia. "Go," Olivia smiled at him. "I'll stay here with Calvin and Eli."

"Lizzie, do you want to come?" Elliot asked.

"Um, I don't think so Daddy. I don't really know how to drive one," Lizzie answered.

"You can ride on the back of mine if you want to," Elliot offered.

Lizzie thought for a minute and then agreed to go. After a late breakfast Elliot took the twins down to the water and Olivia went to check on Calvin before watching a movie with Eli. After lunch Elliot sent the twins out to feed the ducks with Eli while he rested on the couch. He laid his head in Olivia's lap and Olivia ran her fingers through his hair.

"I'm glad we'll have a couple days at home before we have to go back to work," Elliot said quietly. "I'm tired."

"Why don't you go take a nap El? I'll watch the kids."

"I just want to lay here with you," Elliot said. He reached up and ran his finger over Olivia's cheek. "I love you Liv."

"I love you too El." Olivia leaned down and kissed Elliot.

While they were laying on the couch Calvin made his way into the living room. He was wearing shorts and a hoodie with the hood up, trying to shield his eyes from the light.

"Well hello," Olivia said.

Calvin cringed and put his hands over his ears when she spoke. Olivia and Elliot smiled at him.

"I'll get the Tylenol," Elliot said as he stood to his feet.

Olivia persuaded Calvin to eat the hamburger she had set aside for him at lunchtime. After Calvin ate they went and got the twins and Eli and walked around the island. They stopped at the beach and played in the water for a while before returning to the cabin.

Elliot grilled for dinner and let the kids make s'mores for a treat for dessert. They took all the kids to the game room after they ate and let them play. That night they had a movie marathon. They let the kids stay up as late as they wanted which ended up not being very late. Everyone was pretty tired after their week of vacation.

The following morning Elliot and Olivia went for a run around the island before the kids got up. When they got back they made breakfast and packed their stuff. Calvin woke up feeling better and ready for the road trip home. Eli was tired out from their vacation so he wasn't quite so wild. Elliot decided to drive back along the coast so they could enjoy the view and find some tourist shops to stop at for Lizzie. They took their time shopping and sightseeing as they made their way back to Queens to settle back into their normal routine.

**The End**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_Author's Note: Ok, I decided to do a brief continuation of this story because I got a lot of questions about Maddy. I originally didn't expand on her story since she isn't really a main character but since you guys are interested I will keep going! :-)_

* * *

Elliot and Olivia were relaxing on the couch. It was a Friday night. Lizzie, Dickie, and Calvin were at the movie theater. Eli was already asleep.

"Are you going to pick Maddy up at the bus station tomorrow?" Elliot asked.

"Yep, Lizzie is coming along too," Olivia answered.

"I wonder how she's doing."

"She sounded pretty good on the phone," Olivia told Elliot. "It's been a month since she told anyone what happened. I know she's in counseling. Her Mom is wondering if it has sunk in yet. She's thinking that Maddy still believes Jeff loves her."

"She's what, 13? Still trying to figure out what love is and then this perv comes along. It's no surprise her idea of love would be distorted," Elliot said.

"Well, she's spending the week with us. Maybe we can talk to her about it," Olivia smiled at Elliot.

/

"Maddy!" Lizzie was the first one to spot Maddy in the bus station and ran up to her and gave her a big hug. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too!" Maddy said as she hugged Lizzie.

"Hi Honey," Olivia said. "How was your trip?" Olivia gave Maddy a hug and then the three headed out towards the car.

"It was long," Maddy said. "Boston is a long way away."

"Well, we're all glad you could come," Olivia said.

"Hi guys!" Elliot called out when the girls walked in the door. "You're just in time for lunch. It'll be ready in about 5 minutes."

"Spaghetti?" Olivia asked as she walked into the kitchen. "Let me guess, Calvin?"

Elliot nodded his head laughing. "I've never met anyone who could eat as much spaghetti as that kid!"

"Olivia? Mom said to give you this when I got here." Maddy handed Olivia a brown paper lunch bag. Olivia opened it and looked inside.

"Your medicine. Do we need to help you take it at the right times?"

Maddy nodded her head as they sat down at the table for lunch.

"Have you ever been to the city before?" Elliot asked as he twirled some spaghetti onto his fork.

"No, I've never been outside of Boston except when we went to Connecticut last month."

"You're gonna love it Kiddo!" Elliot said excitedly. "There are a lot of fun things to see and do here. I think we're going to go to the Empire State Building this afternoon."

"I'm kind of scared of heights," Maddy said, blushing slightly.

"It's ok Honey. It's perfectly safe," Olivia told her. "But we don't have to go if you don't want to."

"What if I fall off?" Maddy asked.

"You can't fall off Kiddo. It's indoors, you just look out the window," Elliot smiled at her. "Did you bring a camera?"

Maddy nodded her head. "You'll keep me safe?" she asked hesitantly.

Elliot nodded his head. "We'll keep you safe Maddy. Don't worry about anything except having fun while you're here. We'll worry about keeping you safe. Ok?"

"Ok," Maddy agreed.

After lunch Elliot and Olivia packed the kids up in the minivan and took them to the Empire State Building.

"You see that funny looking building down there?" Elliot asked Maddy and Calvin as he pointed out the window. "That's the Flatiron Building. That was one of the first skyscrapers built in this city."

"It's not very tall," Maddy said.

"Well, maybe not compared to all the buildings here now, but it's still a pretty tall building."

"It's a triangle," Calvin said.

"Uh-huh. Pretty cool huh?" Elliot said, patting Calvin on the back.

When they were done in the Empire State Building Elliot drove around the city and pointed out some of the sites. When they got home Elliot and Dickie grilled hamburgers and hot dogs while Calvin played Frisbee with Eli in the backyard. Olivia helped the girls make macaroni and cheese and French fries. After dinner they played a board game then Elliot took the older kids to rent a movie while Olivia stayed home and made sure Eli got a bath.

After they put Eli to bed Elliot and Olivia left the kids in the living room to watch the movie they'd rented and they went into their bedroom.

"Today was fun," Elliot said as he ran his fingers through Olivia's hair. He loved it when she rested her head on his chest. He loved being close to her.

"It was great," Olivia agreed. She picked up Elliot's hand and held it in hers. "What should we do tomorrow?"

"I don't know. We could take the kids to the beach," Elliot suggested.

"Maddy won't wear a swimsuit Honey, remember?"

"Oh yah, I forgot about that. There's always Central Park, you can't come to the city and not see Central Park," Elliot said.

"That sounds like fun. Maybe we can pick up some pizzas and have a picnic. The kids always enjoy that."

"I always enjoy it too," Elliot said.

"I know you do," Olivia laughed.

Elliot woke up at 2:00 in the morning and could see the lights still on down the hall. He went out to the living room and found Dickie and Calvin still up and Maddy sound asleep on the couch.

"Ok you crazy kids, what are you still doing up?" Elliot asked quietly.

"Sorry Dad, we didn't realize how late it was," Dickie said. "Maddy fell asleep on the couch and Lizzie couldn't wake her so she went to bed."

"Some of the medicine she's on makes her sleepy. It's bedtime. Come on." Elliot flipped off the TV. He picked up Maddy and carried her to Lizzie's room then went back to bed.

/

"I wish we didn't have to go back to work tomorrow," Olivia said as she watched Maddy and Lizzie playing with Eli on the playground at Central Park.

"I know, another week off would be really nice." Elliot agreed. "Are you gonna eat that last piece of pizza?"

Olivia laughed. "No, but you better hurry before one of the boys comes over for it."

"No other pizza in the world compares to New York pizza. You know that?" Elliot said as he was eating. "Mmm, this is delicious."

Olivia laughed as she watched Elliot enjoying the simple pleasure of a piece of pizza.

"Dad! Heads up!" Dickie yelled. Elliot looked up just in time to see a football barreling towards him and Olivia. He reached out and caught it with one hand while holding the rest of his pizza with the other hand.

"Are you guys trying to kills us?" he asked Calvin who had come over to retrieve the ball.

Calvin smiled and shook his head. "Is there anymore pizza?"

"Just this," Elliot said, holding up what was in his hand. "Do you want the rest?"

"Ok!" Calvin said as he traded Elliot the football for the pizza. Elliot got up to play football with Dickie and Calvin sat down on the picnic table next to Olivia.

"You're a bottomless pit," Olivia said.

"What?" Calvin asked shrugging his shoulders. "I like pizza," he smiled at her.

"And spaghetti, and pretty much every other Italian food!" Olivia teased.

"Can I have some pop?" Calvin asked as he shoved the last bite of pizza in his mouth.

"How many have you had?" Olivia asked.

"Only two," Calvin answered.

"I think two is enough for now, how about a PowerAde?"

Calvin shrugged his shoulders and caught the PowerAde Olivia tossed to him before running off towards Elliot and Dickie.

/

Before she and Elliot went to bed that night Olivia called Maddy into their room.

"You know Elliot and I have to go to work tomorrow, right?" Olivia asked. Maddy nodded her head. "You'll be fine though. Eli will be at his grandmother's house and you'll be home with Dickie, Calvin and Lizzie and if you have any problems, we're just a phone call away. Ok?"

"Ok," Maddy nodded her head.

"So how are things at home? Are your parents spending more time with you?" Olivia asked.

"I guess so. Probably only cuz of what happened. They feel like they have to. I think they'd rather be with my baby brother though," Maddy said.

"That's not true Maddy," Elliot said. "Sometimes it's hard when you have a new baby. They need a lot of attention. I'm not saying it's right, or fair, but parents make mistakes too. I'm sure they love you Sweetheart."

"The only person who loves me is in jail and nobody will even take me to see him," Maddy said.

"Have you been talking to your counselor about that?" Olivia asked.

Maddy shrugged her shoulders. "She just says Jeff didn't love me, and I guess I kind of know that's true, it's just that he really seemed like he did. I don't know," Maddy said, shaking her head. "I'm so confused," she said as she started crying.

"Come here Honey," Olivia said as she wrapped her arms around Maddy. "It's ok." She rubbed Maddy's back until she had calmed down a little bit. "I know it's confusing, but if you keep talking to your counselor about it, she'll be able to help you. You will get through this Maddy." Maddy nodded her head at Olivia. Olivia wiped the tears from Maddy's cheeks.

"I'm really sleepy," Maddy said. "Do you think Lizzie would mind if I went to bed now?"

"No Honey, Lizzie won't mind at all." Olivia said.

"I used to be able to stay up super late, but it's 10:00 and I can barely keep my eyes open."

"I know," Olivia said. "That's the medicine."

"The doctor said I have to take it but I hate it."

"How come?" Elliot asked.

Maddy shrugged her shoulders. "It makes me tired all the time."

"Well, sleep is good for you," Elliot said. "Your body needs rest. I doubt you'll have to take it forever, you just hang in there."

"Ok," Maddy said in the middle of a yawn.

"Go change into your pajamas and I'll come tuck you in," Olivia said. Maddy nodded her head.

"Good night Maddy," Elliot said.

"Good night."

_Author's Note: Next up, more time with the kids. Thanks for reading!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"She's still struggling but she actually seems to have a pretty good handle on things," Elliot said after Olivia had returned from tucking Maddy into bed.

"Yah, she seems to be doing really well," Olivia said.

"Let's call in sick tomorrow," Elliot suggested.

"You know we can't do that El," Olivia smiled at him.

"But it'll be so much fun," Elliot mock whined. "We can take the kids and go explore the city some more."

"We do have Friday off," Olivia pointed out, "as long as we're not working a case."

"I guess I can wait," Elliot said.

Olivia laughed at Elliot's goofiness. Just one of the many qualities she absolutely adored about him. "Roll over," she instructed, "I'll rub your back."

"Mmm" Elliot hummed. "Let me strip for you first," he said as he rolled out of bed.

"Keep your underwear on Romeo," Olivia laughed, "the kids are still up."

"They'll never suspect a thing," Elliot said. He walked over and locked the door before sliding into bed next to Olivia.

/

"How was work?" Calvin asked. He was sitting on the front porch when Elliot and Olivia arrived home with Eli.

"Not too bad," Olivia answered. "What's going on here? Why are you sitting out here?" she asked, a little worried.

"What'd you guys do?" Elliot asked suspiciously. "You didn't get into my beer did you?" he said, half teasing.

"No." Calvin pulled his T-shirt over his face as he smiled shyly. He had learned his lesson when they were at the cabin a month ago.

Elliot tugged his shirt away from his face and winked at him. He put his arm around him and headed into the house.

After they changed their clothes Elliot went out and fired up the grill to cook some steaks and Olivia boiled some potatoes to mash. She recruited the girls to make a salad and got the boys to set the table. After they ate dinner Elliot took everybody out for ice cream.

"Is it ok if I go down to the gym for a little while Liv?" Elliot asked once they were back home.

"Of course!" Olivia said. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Elliot assured her. "I just haven't been in awhile." Elliot smiled and kissed Olivia.

"Can I come? Can I come?" Calvin asked running over to Elliot. Calvin loved going to the gym with Elliot as much as Elliot loved taking him.

Elliot grabbed Calvin and put him in a playful headlock. "You want to come?" he asked as he ruffled Calvin's hair.

Calvin pulled at Elliot's arm, trying to break free. "Will you teach me how to get out of a headlock?"

"Turn your head so your chin is in the crook of my elbow," Elliot said as he put his hand on top of Calvin's head to show him. "Now push up on my arm, not down. Then I won't be able to choke you as easily." Elliot leaned down and kissed Calvin on the top of his head then let him go. "Go put your gym shorts on. We'll work on it."

/

"Did you guys have fun?" Olivia asked when Elliot returned home.

"We had a blast," Elliot answered as he relaxed on the bed next to Olivia. "Calvin told me he wants to be a cop."

"Really?" Olivia asked, surprised.

"Don't sound so surprised," Elliot said. "He's around cops all the time. Besides, I think he kind of looks up to us."

"I know he looks up to you Elliot," Olivia said. "He never had a dad, but now he has you. Thank you for being so good to him."

Elliot pulled Olivia's body close to his and held her tight. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "He looks up to you too you know. You mean the world to him."

"I'm so glad we have him," Olivia said softly.

"Yah. Me too," Elliot said.

* * *

Elliot and Olivia decided to stop and pick up some Chinese food on their way home on Tuesday night. They were exhausted from a long day of work and neither of them felt like cooking. After they ate Dickie and Calvin went outside to play basketball with some of the neighbors, Eli went to his room to play and the girls watched a movie with Elliot and Olivia.

"Whatcha thinkin' about Maddy?" Elliot asked.

"Huh?" Maddy asked, looking over at Elliot.

"You look like you have a lot on your mind. Are you ok?"

"Oh. Yah. I'm ok," Maddy answered.

"Well if you need to talk, we're here to listen," Elliot smiled at her.

"It's like I know in my brain that he was abusing me, but my heart still believes he loved me. My body is telling me all these different things and I can't keep up," Maddy blurted out. Lizzie got up and went outside to play basketball with the boys.

"Sometimes it's difficult to sort out our feelings and separate them from what we know is the truth," Elliot said. "Just keep talking about it with people you trust. That will help you make sense of things."

"You know what else you could do?" Olivia asked. "You can keep a diary; write down your thoughts and feelings. Even the private ones that you don't want to tell anybody else."

"Dad," Lizzie called from the front entry way.

Elliot walked to the front door to find Lizzie standing there starting to cry.

"What's wrong Honey?" Elliot asked, pulling Lizzie into his chest.

"The boys won't let me play basketball," she cried. Elliot sat her down on the bench they sat on to remove their shoes and held her while she cried.

"Lizzie, you don't usually cry over something like that. What's the matter?" Elliot prodded.

"I don't know Daddy."

"Hey," Elliot said gently. "Talk to me." He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb and looked into her eyes.

Lizzie paused for a minute and let her dad gently rock her. "What's wrong with Maddy?" she asked quietly. "She's always talking about weird stuff and I feel like I have to leave the room."

"I'm sorry Sweetheart," Elliot said. He kissed the top of Lizzie's head. "Lizzie, Maddy was assaulted..."

"Was she raped?" Lizzie interrupted.

Elliot took a deep breath. "Yes," he said nodding his head, "she was raped Honey, and she's having a difficult time understanding some things. Liv and I are just trying to help her out some, ok?"

"Ok."

"I love you Lizzie," Elliot smiled at her.

"I love you too Daddy," Lizzie said as she gave him a hug.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Elliot and Olivia got out of work early on Wednesday. They'd worked hard the day before and Cragen knew they had a guest so he sent them home early in the afternoon. They decided to take the older kids bowling before they picked Eli up from his grandmother's house.

Maddy's mother called Olivia that night to check in on her. Olivia took her cell phone back to her bedroom so they could speak in private. After Elliot put Eli to bed, he joined Olivia.

"Who was that?" Elliot asked when Olivia hung up the phone.

"That was Maddy's mom, checking in on her. We had a nice talk," Olivia smiled.

"Yah? What'd she have to say?"

"She said they miss Maddy. They're redecorating her room while she's gone, they want to surprise her."

"That's nice," Elliot said. "It sounds like they're getting it together."

"I think so," Olivia agreed. "It may take time for Maddy to realize it but I think they really do care. Her mom said she takes Maddy on special outings with just her at least once a week and she tries to get her involved in everyday things, like helping to make dinner and deciding what they're going to do for fun."

"Good!" Elliot said. "Good for them."

/

When they arrived home on Thursday evening Elliot and Olivia found the kids having a Guitar Hero contest. They were pleased to see them getting along so well and finding creative ways to entertain themselves. Elliot made taco salad for dinner while Olivia put a cake in to bake for dessert. After they ate Elliot and Olivia took Eli for a walk around the neighborhood while the other kids continued playing Guitar Hero.

Elliot was up by 6:00 on Friday morning. He knew he would be. He rarely slept in on his days off. He slipped out of bed without waking Olivia, pulled on his gym shorts and headed out to the kitchen to get a glass of water before he went for a run. As he rounded the corner into the kitchen a dark shadowy figure jumped in front of him and yelled "Boo!"

"Oh shit Calvin!" Elliot said, putting his hand over his racing heart and leaning on the counter for support. As a general rule he tried not to swear in front of the children but sometimes they got the best of him, and the last thing he was expecting was Calvin to jump out and scare him.

"What are you doing?" Elliot asked after he had caught his breath.

"Did I scare you?" Calvin asked smiling.

"Scare me? You're lucky I didn't have a heart attack!" Elliot said, still breathing heavily.

Calvin started laughing hysterically. Elliot put his hand over Calvin's mouth to muffle his laughter so he didn't wake the rest of the house up.

"Can we have bagels for breakfast?" Calvin asked after he pulled Elliot's hand away.

"Oh, first you scare me half to death, and now you want a favor?" Elliot teased. "Why are you up so early?" Elliot poured himself a big glass of water.

Calvin shrugged his shoulders. "I wanted a bagel."

"You're up at 6:00 in the morning, because you wanted a bagel? I don't buy it, what's going on with you?" Elliot asked, looking at Calvin.

Calvin thought for a moment. "I had a bad dream and I couldn't go back to sleep," he finally admitted.

"I'm sorry Kiddo, what was the dream about?" Elliot asked.

"They came and took me away from here," Calvin said quietly.

Elliot knelt down so he was face to face with Calvin. "Nobody's gonna take you away from us Buddy," he said as he rubbed Calvin's arms. "You know Olivia and I love you, right?" Calvin nodded his head. "We're not gonna let anybody take you away from us," Elliot promised. Calvin smiled at Elliot. Elliot stood and gave Calvin a hug, then kissed the top of his head.

"Do you want to run with me?" Elliot offered.

"Yes," Calvin said, smiling at Elliot.

"Ok, when we get back I'll take you out and we'll get some fresh bagels before everybody else wakes up. Ok?"

"Thanks Elliot," Calvin said.

"Anything for you Calvin." Elliot winked at Calvin.

Eli was sitting on the couch watching cartoons and the girls were just waking up when Elliot and Calvin returned with the bagels after their run. Elliot went back to their bedroom and woke Olivia with a kiss.

"Calvin and I went and got bagels this morning," he said softly.

"Fresh bagels?" Olivia asked. "Wait a minute, Calvin's up? How long did you let me sleep?"

"He was up before me," Elliot told her. "He's having nightmares again."

"Oh no," Olivia said. She sat up in bed and let Elliot rub her back. "What are they about this time?"

"Somebody came and took him away from us," Elliot said. "I talked to him."

"Thanks El." Olivia got up and kissed him before heading into their bathroom.

"You know what he did to me this morning?" Elliot called.

"Hmm?"

"He scared the shit out of me. I went into the kitchen to get a glass of water before my run and he jumped out in front of me and screamed," Elliot said.

"He got you good, huh?" Olivia laughed as she came out of the bathroom.

"Oh yah," Elliot said smiling.

Elliot poked his head into Dickie's room and woke him up, then walked to the kitchen holding Olivia's hand. After they ate breakfast Elliot and Olivia took the kids to see the Statue of Liberty. After they were done and the ferry dropped them off they walked around the city and let Maddy shop for souvenirs. When Eli got tired Elliot carried him on his shoulders. They stopped at an ice cream shop and let the kids get a snack to cool them down and hold them over until dinner.

After dinner they spent the evening playing board games. Olivia heated up some finger foods for everybody to snack on and they sat around the table laughing and enjoying each other's company.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

On Saturday morning Olivia woke to Calvin standing beside her bed.

"Good morning Honey," Olivia said, sitting up in bed.

"Is Elliot here?" Calvin asked.

Olivia looked over at Elliot's empty spot. "I think he's out running. Are you ok? Did you have another nightmare?"

"He told you?" Calvin asked, getting really embarrassed.

"Yah, he told me. Come here Honey," Olivia scooted over on the bed and let Calvin climb up next to her. "It's nothing to be ashamed of Calvin. I have nightmares sometimes too."

"You do?" Calvin asked, looking up at Olivia.

Olivia smiled and nodded her head at Calvin. "And they always go away eventually, just like yours do. Have you been writing about them in your journal, like your counselor suggested?"

Calvin shook his head. "I don't like thinking about it. I don't want to remember," he told Olivia.

"I know Honey," Olivia said. She put her arm around Calvin and held him tight. "But when you write it down it helps you work through the memories and understand them. After that it's easier to forget and then the nightmares will go away."

Elliot came in from his run and heard Olivia and Calvin talking. He decided to hide outside their bedroom door and listen in. Olivia was such an amazing mother; he loved watching her with the kids. He also wanted to get Calvin back for scaring him the previous morning.

"This morning we have to drop Eli and the twins off at their mother's house and take Maddy to the bus station," Olivia told Calvin, "so you think about what you'd like to do today. Ok?"

"Anything I want?" Calvin asked.

Olivia laughed. "Within reason," she answered. "We need to go to the grocery store and Elliot needs a new pair of running shoes and then we'll do something you want to do."

"Cool!"

"Ok," Olivia said, "let me get dressed so I can get breakfast going." She kissed Calvin before he hopped off the bed and headed for the door.

"Gotcha!" Elliot yelled as he grabbed Calvin when he stepped out of the door.

Calvin screamed and tried to break free from Elliot's grasp until he realized what happened. "Not nice!" he told Elliot.

"You know what they say about payback," Elliot smiled at him as he let him go.

"Yah," Calvin said. "It's a..."

"Shh!" Elliot put his finger over Calvin's mouth before he could finish his sentence.

"Did you get him?" Olivia asked when Elliot came into the room.

Elliot walked over to her and gave her a lingering kiss. "I got him," he said smiling.

Elliot and Olivia got dressed and got the rest of the kids up. While the kids were packing Elliot and Calvin made breakfast and Olivia went from room to room making sure everyone had everything. After breakfast Elliot and Olivia dropped Dickie, Lizzie and Eli off at their mother's house and then took Maddy to the bus station. After they said good-bye and made sure she got on the right bus they did the all the shopping they had to do. That afternoon Elliot and Olivia took Calvin to the movies. When they got home Calvin played the Wii while Elliot and Olivia got dinner started. That night they watched a movie together.

"I think I'm ready for bed," Olivia said in the middle of a yawn. "Are you going to stay up with him for a little while?" she asked Elliot. She and Elliot usually stayed up with Calvin when the other kids were at their mother's house.

"Yah, I'll stay up with him," Elliot answered. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Olivia said, "it's just been a long week."

Elliot nodded his head in agreement and got up to kiss Olivia good night. Olivia kissed Calvin before going to bed.

Calvin moved over to where Olivia had been sitting next to Elliot.

"How late are you going to stay up," Elliot asked Calvin.

"I don't want to go to bed," Calvin said. "I'm gonna stay up all night."

Elliot smiled at Calvin, guessing he was trying to avoid sleep in hopes of avoiding nightmares. He put his arm around Calvin and watched TV with him until Calvin had fallen asleep on his shoulder. After he put Calvin to bed he slipped into bed next to Olivia who was sound asleep. He had just rolled over and closed his eyes when he heard Calvin calling his name. Elliot could hear Calvin talking as he made his way to his room.

"No, don't take me. Please, I don't want to go. Elliot, help me, please, don't let them take me." Elliot realized Calvin was dreaming and talking in his sleep. He got increasingly louder and became more and more agitated.

"Calvin," Elliot whispered. He rubbed Calvin's back gently.

Calvin woke up out of breath. He sat up in his bed and looked around the room. "Elliot! They were here, they came and tried to take me. I couldn't find you. I called out for you but you didn't come." Calvin was obviously upset and speaking quickly.

Elliot put his arm around Calvin and held him tight. "I'm here. I'm right here. Shh. It's ok."

"Lay down," Elliot said after Calvin had calmed down. "I'll sit with you till you fall asleep."

"No!" Calvin said. "I don't want to go back to sleep. Please Elliot. Please don't make me."

Elliot rubbed his eyes and tried to figure out what to do about Calvin. He had had nightmares before but he didn't remember them being this bad. He decided to take Calvin for a run. It always helped him when he was stressed and needed to clear his head, he hoped the fresh air would help calm Calvin down and the run would make him tired enough he would be able to sleep.

Olivia woke up at 9:00 the next morning and was surprised to find Elliot still in bed asleep. She laid her hand on his shoulder and whispered his name. Elliot groaned, then yawned.

"Are you ok?" Olivia asked. "Are you sick?"

Elliot shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I've been up most of the night with Calvin."

"I'm sorry El. Was it the nightmares again?"

"Will you rub my back Liv?" Elliot asked. Olivia started rubbing and massaging Elliot's back, shoulders and neck.

"He didn't want to go to sleep, but he fell asleep while we were watching TV," Elliot started. "Then the nightmares started and he was up again so I took him out for a run, then we watched some more TV until he fell asleep again. I haven't heard anything else out of him."

"I'll go check on him," Olivia said. She leaned down and kissed Elliot then headed into Calvin's room and found him still sleeping.

Elliot and Olivia were relaxing on the couch when Calvin wandered into the room.

"Good morning Honey," Olivia said. "You're hair is soaking wet Calvin. What happened?" Calvin stood in front of them silently with glassy eyes and stared right through them.

Elliot looked at him for a moment. "He's still asleep. He's sleepwalking."

Calvin mumbled something neither of them could understand then put his shoes on. When he tried to walk out the front door Elliot took his arm and led him back to the living room. Olivia ran her hands up and down his arms and called his name. Calvin blinked several times then looked around confused.

"Are you awake Buddy?" Elliot asked. Calvin tried to smile at Elliot but Elliot saw the fear in his face. "It's ok, you were sleepwalking. A lot of people do it."

Olivia hugged Calvin and kissed his sweaty head. "Are you ok?" Calvin looked up at Olivia and nodded his head. "Why don't you go take a shower Honey."

"Ok," Calvin answered quietly.

"I'm worried El," Olivia said once Calvin had gone to get a shower.

"Relax Liv, sleepwalking is normal, especially in kids," Elliot said, trying to calm her.

"He was going to leave Elliot!" Olivia said getting increasingly agitated. "I'm calling Huang."

"Liv..."

"I can't sleep at night knowing there's a chance Calvin might get up and walk out of the house in the middle of the night!"

"Ok. Ok," Elliot said holding his hands up in defeat. "Let's call Huang."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_Author's Note: The beginning of this chapter was a little difficult to write since I'm not a shrink or a doctor. I did my best, I hope it makes sense!_

* * *

George Huang rang the doorbell right at 6:00 that night. Elliot and Olivia had decided to invite him over after the twins and Eli returned from their mother's house hoping the kids would keep each other occupied and they would have a chance to speak in private with the doctor. Elliot and Olivia took Huang out to their back patio to talk.

"What's going on guys?" Huang asked.

"Calvin is having some trouble with nightmares," Olivia said. "He's had trouble in the past but it has never been this bad. I'm starting to worry."

"Does he remember what the nightmares are about?" Huang asked.

"The main theme seems to be someone coming and taking him away," Elliot said. "His counselor recommended journaling and art therapy and that's helped in the past but..."

"Now he's started sleepwalking," Olivia cut in. "This morning he put his shoes on and tried to leave the house. He was also drenched in sweat when he got up."

"Sleepwalking is fairly common in children and even in teens," Huang said. "There are a number of causes, lack of sleep and stress being two. Is he getting enough sleep? How's his stress level?"

"He and Dickie stay up until all hours of the night," Elliot said. "It's summer vacation and they're both teenagers. They sleep in as late as they want usually. I don't think he's very stressed." Elliot looked over at Olivia.

"I haven't noticed anything. He's happy, well-adjusted, he gets along great with Elliot's kids, he and Dickie are inseparable," Olivia said.

"Well, I'd recommend a set bedtime for him to help regulate his sleep schedule. Also, some children who sleepwalk experience night terrors. That's probably why he was all sweaty when he woke up."

"Is there anything we can do about the sleepwalking?" Elliot asked.

"Well, sleepwalking isn't normally dangerous. It usually goes away on its own but there are a couple things that might help. Don't let him have any caffeine or a lot of sweets close to bedtime and make sure he gets plenty of exercise during the day. Also, use the time after dinner, or an hour or two before his bedtime for him to do something calming and relaxing. Get him settled down. If you're worried he's going to leave the house when he's sleepwalking you can get some child safety locks and put them on the doors. That should be enough to keep him in."

"I still have some of those around here somewhere from when we needed them for Eli," Elliot said.

"It can be scary but I wouldn't worry too much. It's perfectly normal and actually more common than you'd think. If he continues to have problems or they get worse there are a few meds you can try. I know you guys prefer he not be put on any if it isn't absolutely necessary, but there is that option."

"Thanks George," Elliot said extending his hand to the doctor. "We really appreciate you stopping by."

"No problem," Huang said, "glad to help."

"Would you like to stay for some dessert?" Olivia offered. "We have all the stuff for ice cream sundaes."

"No thanks, I really should be going," Huang said. "Thanks for the coffee."

/

That night Elliot installed child safety locks on the front and back doors so they didn't have to worry about Calvin disappearing in the middle of the night. He and Olivia decided the kids new bedtime would be 11:00 for the remainder of their summer vacation.

"Ok guys, Eli is sleeping and Liv and I are going to bed," Elliot announced. "Does anybody need anything?"

"No," the kids all said almost in unison.

"What time is bedtime?" Elliot asked.

"11:00," Lizzie said.

"Boys?"

"11:00," Calvin said.

"Why do we have to go to bed so early Dad?" Dickie asked.

"Because school starts in about a month and you guys need to get back on a normal sleep schedule," Elliot answered.

Elliot kissed Lizzie good night, then kissed Dickie good night. He leaned down to kiss Calvin good night. "Are you ok?" he whispered. Calvin nodded his head confidently and smiled at Elliot. "Come wake me up if you need to," Elliot whispered, then he kissed Calvin and went back to bed. When Olivia was done soaking in the bathtub she went out and kissed each child good night, checked on Eli, then laid down next to Elliot.

/

Calvin made it through the night without waking Elliot or Olivia up. When Olivia checked on him the next morning she found him still tucked into his bed. They would have to wait until they got home from work to ask him if he had any nightmares. They caught a case almost as soon as they walked in the door of the precinct. They spent the day trying to identify the prostitute who had been violently raped and left unconscious.

When they got home they found Lizzie making pizza dough and Dickie and Calvin on the side of the house playing soccer.

"The boys and I are going to make pizza for dinner so you guys don't have to cook," Lizzie told them.

"Thank you Lizzie," Olivia said. She gave Lizzie a hug after she set all her stuff down on the counter.

"We really appreciate it Honey," Elliot said, kissing the top of her head.

Elliot and Olivia went back to their bedroom and changed out of their work clothes.

"I'm gonna call Calvin back and see if he had any nightmares," Elliot said.

"Hang on," Olivia said. "Let's figure out what we're going to do with him." Elliot looked at her weird. "You know, which of Huang's suggestions we're going to use."

"Well, I put the child locks on the doors," Elliot said. "He's already very active, we set a bedtime. What else is there?"

"I think we should monitor what he eats before bed," Olivia said. "No pop after dinner, and limit his sugar intake. And we should encourage him to keep journaling."

Elliot smiled at Olivia. He thought she was overreacting a bit but he wasn't going to tell her. Maybe it was the fact that he had raised 5 kids, but he wasn't overly concerned at this point. "You ready for me to call him back?" Olivia nodded her head and Elliot called Calvin back to their room.

"What did I do?" Calvin asked, looking at Elliot and Olivia nervously.

"I don't know. What _did_ you do?" Elliot teased.

"Stop it El," Olivia said, smacking his arm. "We just wanted to talk to you for a minute Honey." Calvin relaxed and sat on the bed between Elliot and Olivia. "How did you sleep last night? Did you have any nightmares?"

Calvin shrugged his shoulders. "I slept pretty good. I don't think I had any nightmares."

"Are you just telling us what you think we want to hear?" Olivia asked.

Calvin shook his head. "I wrote in my journal, like you said. I guess it really does help."

Olivia was satisfied with his answer. "Good. We're going to change just a couple things to try to keep the nightmares from coming back."

Calvin smiled at Olivia and nodded his head. Elliot started poking at Calvin's side. He knew Calvin was ticklish. He had been having serious conversations at work all day and he was ready to relax and play with the kids.

"Elliot! Please." Olivia glared at him.

"Sorry," Elliot said, getting serious again. "Here's the deal Kiddo, we don't want you drinking pop after dinnertime anymore and you can have a snack before bedtime but we're going to help you pick things that don't have a lot of sugar. Ok?"

Calvin shrugged his shoulders. "Ok. Is that all?"

"One more thing," Olivia said. "We want you to keep writing in your journal."

"I will," Calvin promised. Olivia smiled as Calvin took off back to the kitchen to help make the pizzas.

* * *

The kids enjoyed the rest of their summer vacation. Calvin's didn't have any more trouble with sleepwalking and over time his nightmares went away. Olivia was able to relax and not panic so much over Calvin's nightmares and Elliot enjoyed spending the long summer days with Olivia and the kids.

_Author's Note: I may do another sequel to this somewhere down the road but for now I have another story idea I'm excited to start working on! Thank you all for taking the time to read and review! It makes my day! =) _

**The End [for real this time]**


End file.
